Two older Chincoteague ponies that died of complications suffered after becoming mired in mud do not constitute a valid reason to call for an end to an unrelated annual event: Chincoteague Pony Penning.

The ponies died because they live in a habitat that occasionally poses mortal threats.

They did NOT die because the Chincoteague volunteer firefighters round up a portion of the herd each year in July to auction off foals while controlling the population, nor did they die because of the spectacle that accompanies Pony Penning.

They were NOT mistreated or neglected by the fire company volunteers or the Saltwater Cowboys.

And they did NOT die because the volunteer fire company raises money through the auction to help sustain the herd.

They died because they are wild animals living in a natural habitat. Their suffering was lessened because the fire company volunteers keep a watchful eye on the ponies year round — from a distance.

The firefighters also provide access to necessary veterinary care — as they did in late April with these two ponies. While two horses tragically died, a third is recovering because help was given in a timely fashion.

Interested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries:

PETA, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, bills itself as an organization that stands up for animal rights. It sounds good, on the surface.

This organization, however, is known more for its radical approach than for its actual mission. It does not simply advocate that animals be treated well. It rails against mistreatment of and cruelty against all creatures — as we all should — but it also stands against human consumption of meat, wearing leather, and patronizing circuses and zoos. It's known for its outrageous protests designed primarily to call attention to the organization.

PETA favors a confrontational approach to executing its mission. And it has a checkered history on Delmarva. This latest installment came as a letter to the editor connecting the pony deaths with Pony Penning; this constitutes a false equivalency.

While the PETA letter offended most local readers, those who left comments on social media attacking Delmarva Now for publishing the letter are misplacing their ire. Delmarva Now publishes letters regardless of whether it agrees with or supports the message.

Hence, we publish letters and commentaries for and against various politicians, supporting or rejecting policies, legislation or events, as submitted by readers and local officials and civic leaders.

It is our mission to inform readers, who are perfectly capable of reading about an issue from all positions and forming their own opinion. We take that mission seriously and reject censorship.

PETA is free to object to Pony Penning, and we will share that opinion, not because we agree with the group's stance. It's PETA's opinion.

But PETA failed to draw any connection, however tenuous, between Pony Penning and the death of those two ponies.

According to legend, the town is named after a former postmaster, John Slaughter. Or for a creek that was named in the postmaster's honor. Either way, the name honors the memory of a man who played a significant role in the town's history.

CLOSE

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is calling on Slaughter Beach to change its name to Sanctuary Beach.
William Bretzger/The News Journal/WOCHIT

In 2017, a rural Accomack County family settled a lawsuit with PETA after Norfolk, Virginia-based PETA members with charged in the trespassing and removal of a pet Chihuahua, Maya, from their property. The dog was never recovered and is believed to have been euthanized by PETA.